How Supermassive Black Holes Control the Fate of Entire Galaxies

Supermassive black holes may control the growth of entire galaxies. New research shows that narrow plasma jets can travel hundreds of thousands of light-years, reaching the gas surrounding galaxies and creating directional regions of glowing ionized hydrogen.

By heating and disrupting this cold gas, black holes can suppress star formation and regulate how galaxies evolve. A tiny region at the center of a galaxy may ultimately shape its entire cosmic environment.

Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs.

This episode includes AI-generated content.